Late September through early October Outdoor Lesson Plan
Focus of Lesson- Summer Changing to Fall: Signs in Nature ( 2- 45 min. class periods)
Vocabulary Reinforcement- season, summer, fall, autumn
* A prior lesson introduced preceding topic. This lesson provides reinforcement in the areas of science, language arts, and art.
Activities:
Introduce students to apple tree on school premises. Encourage observation of the tree parts. Remind students to use all of their senses in this exploration, review topic of seasons pertinent to tree observation, discuss term "adoption" (*Each year kindergarten students "adopt" this apple tree in order to examine it throughout the school year. At the beginning of the next year, they present the tree to the incoming kindergarten class.)
Vocabulary Introduction/Reinforcement - trunk, bark, branches. leaves, autumn, fruit, texture
Reinforce students' use of scientific terminology and vocabulary associated with the parts of the tree.
Students will listen to the story, " The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree"- Gail Gibbons. Ideally, story telling should take place under the apple tree. Story will review the previous lesson about seasons. Students will be asked to compare/contrast the seasonal changes that the tree undergoes as well as to determine how the tree in the story resembles their tree. They will also discuss the parts of the tree illustrated in the story, and describe the function of those parts.
Students will examine their tree again, noticing any evidence of animal life. Inquiry questions could include- "What type of animals live here?" ( Insects, birds, squirrels) "How do we know that?" "Which parts of the tree make the best homes for those animals and why?"
Students will also describe the shape, size, color, and texture of their tree. "Do different parts of the tree have different textures?" Students will discuss which senses helped them to describe their tree in the greatest detail.
Day 2- Lesson 2
Students will discuss the seasons depicted in the story of Day 1. They will decide the season of their apple tree and determine the clues of nature that helped them make their decision. They will draw a picture of the tree, being encouraged to recall the details provided by their senses. Vocabulary terms from Day 1 should be reviewed.
Students will share their drawings and comment positively on details illustrated by their classmates. They will determine which season will arrive next, and discuss what their tree might look like at that time. In order to further develop thinking skills, students might be asked to draw a picture of what the tree would look like in the following season.
Grading rubric- 4 point total.
1 point for each tree part drawn. parts to include - leaves, branches, trunk, fruit. (Bark not evaluated, roots not yet introduced)
1 point- each animal/insect/ animal home drawn.
1 point- environmental details ( sky, grass, etc)
5-6+ total- Excellent work
3-4 point total- Good work
1-2 point total- Poor work
* If a real tree ( apple or otherwise) is not available to students, then a plant provided by the teacher, or a potted tree could be provided. Students could still adopt the plant or tree, and be responsible for its care. They could compare the parts of the plant with the parts of a tree, as depicted in the story. Lesson could be modified to include what plants/trees need to grow.